Designate ECFS as a Beneficiary of Investment or Retirement Assets

You can support ECFS in several simple and savvy ways without reducing your income or diminishing your savings. Many types of assets can be transferred to ECFS without legal expense. You may have bank investments, retirement, insurance, stock, or mutual-fund accounts that you can use to accomplish your charitable goals. All of these assets can be transferred by completing a P.O.D. (Payable on Death) or T.O.D. (Transfer on Death) form, or beneficiary designation form from your financial advisor or brokerage firm. This will instruct the account custodian what to do with the account after your passing.

  • Retirement Plans
    Gifts of IRAs, 401(k)s, or other qualified retirement plans are popular planned gifts because they require no upfront cash — you simply designate ECFS as the beneficiary of all or a portion of your retirement plan through your plan administrator. You can continue to withdraw during your lifetime and even change the beneficiary if circumstances change. After your lifetime, the residue of your plan passes tax-free to ECFS.
  • Stocks and Investment Funds Accounts
    Using a beneficiary designation form, you may designate ECFS as the beneficiary of all or a percentage of your brokerage accounts. After you pass, your selected account balance will be transferred to our organization.
  • Life Insurance
    If your family no longer needs the financial protection of your life insurance policy, consider designating ECFS as a beneficiary to receive all or a percentage of the policy proceeds. After your passing, you will receive an income tax deduction for donating a paid-up life insurance policy and estate tax savings. You may also transfer ownership of a paid-up life insurance policy to ECFS. We may elect to cash in the policy now or hold it.
  • Charitable Lead Trusts
    A charitable lead trust, or “non-grantor lead trust,” allows you to provide an income to ECFS for a specified length of time, after which the trust assets pass to your heirs. To establish a charitable lead trust, you contribute securities or other appreciating assets to a trustee who will invest the assets and make “income” payments to ECFS. When the trust ends, the remaining principal passes to family members or other beneficiaries you have named.
  • Charitable Remainder Trusts
    A charitable remainder trust allows you to provide an income to yourself or others for life (or a term of years), after which the trust assets go to the School to help educate ECFS students for years to come.
ECFS Information for Your Planned Gift

EIN/Tax ID Number
13-3862529

Mailing Address
Ethical Culture Fieldston School
Advancement Office
33 Central Park West
New York, NY 10023

Contact
Stephanie Pilla, Associate Director of Leadership Giving & Strategic Engagements
[email protected] / 212-712-6242

Please share your plans so that we may express our gratitude and recognize you as a member of the Felix Adler Circle, or reach out to discuss a specific gift designation or if you have any questions.